counts and serving sizes more noticeable. those are the headlines. "america tonight" with joie chen is up next. remember, you can get the latest news at aljazeera.com. >> on "america tonight", tensions build. signs of clashes on the ukraine yn-ruran boarder. >> we'll do everything. >> saving kids on the streets. the president offers a new initiative. >> the point was i could see myself in the young men. by almost every measure, the

group facing severe challenges in the 21st century in this country are boys and young men of colour. >> and the life line on wheels. in our series "aging america", a look at what can keep her independent. thanks for joining us. i'm joie chen. a russian flag is waving above the ukranian parliament building in crimea tonight. the building was seized by pro have you hahn government who continue to occupy it. but in kiev the parliament voted for a new prime minister, one who is loyal to the open sayings. and tensions dividing the country are rippling well beyond the borders as america tonight's sheila reports. >> pro have you hahn voices raised in the crimean capital amidrisings tensions. the crimean peninsula is part of ukraine. but the sentiments of any are with russia.

it is the only region where ethnic russians are at the majority. protesters battle with police outside the regional parliament buildings. buildings taken over last night by armed men who raised the russian flag, a direct challenge to ukraine's new leaders. witnesses say there are about 60 heavily armed and uniformed men occupying the building. and said they spoke in russian. in the capital of kiev where the interim government is trying to find its feet, the acting president said he had ordered the military to free the buildings and "punish the criminals." >> anyone and i stress anyone who tries to government buildings in ukraine's east west, center south and north is going to be treated as having committed a crime against the government of ukraine. >> the government and the country are reeling from the

shock revelation that the financial cupboard is bare, that ukraine has very little money in the bank. >> i want to report to you that the state treasury in empty. >> more than $50 billion in gold reserves and foreign credits have disappeared, he said. deposed president yanokovich wanted on charges of mass murder last seen on footage fleeing his palatial home now believed to be in russia. some reports have him holed up in the vast ukraine hotel. others at a rural spa. he is still president of ukraine. he is asked the russian government to guarantee his safety from what he calls extremists. and russia is flexing its military muscle, demonstrating it is ready to protect it interests and threatening an escalation of violence.

>> today, fighter jets on the border with ukraine were put on combat alert. pilots are flying constant air patrols. that is a day after russian president vladimir putin announced large scale exercises in russia saying they were designed to test troop readiness. if the military security is threatened. putting russian tanks at ukraine's doorstep. in brussels, u.s. defense secretary hagueel met with counter parts. return's military exercises and its intentions towards ukraine are topic number one. >> we expect other nations to respect ukraine's sovereignty and avoid provocative actions. i sessionpect russia to be transparent about these activities and i urge them not to take any steps that could be misinterpreted or lead to miscalculation. during a very delicate time. what the west does not want is

a provocation that tips exercises into real violence. but if this continues to play out in the streets with the russian majority of crimea, it would not take much to set this tinder box alight. >> my first message, no boots on the ground. we are committed to the territorial integrity and unity of my country. and the new government will do everything and use all legal means to stabilize the situation in crimea. >> a ukranian problem, he said, that would only be solved by ukranians. >> intentionally or not, it seems that vladimir putin with a combination of military exercises scramble fighter jones and protection for the deposed and impeached former president is making clear he could make life very difficult for the victors in ukraine. ha is why we are hearing so provocation.

>> another thing that makes it very difficult for the future of ukraine is that money situation that you referred to. >> it is dire. how -- i mean, they are at the edge. how are they going to get money? >> there are reports from kiev. they may have as little as half a million in the bank. those are unconfirmed reports. it is clear that the new government was shocked when they went to the coffers and took a look and discovered that over an unknown period of time, not made clear. an unknown period of time billions of dollars were taken out of the country and sent off-shore. >> by whom, who has got the money? >> who has got the money where it is now, that is going to take a long time to unravel. >> but in the immediate european union, international monetary fund, the imf is talking about a billion dollar check sort of an emergency, get you through the knicks little while. new reforms. big reforms are obviously on the table in ukraine financially and economically. >> but a billion is not going to last all that long.

>> no. >> thank you very much. >> now on to the weather. which a lot of us are experiencing. much of the country is in deep freeze. but in southern california flood fears now have officials and residents keeping a close watch on the charred hillsides. mantry vexes and a flash flood watch in effect for the foothill communities of glendora and azusa outside of los angeles. the hillsides have been devastated by wildfire quite recently. crews and residents have been working around the clock to fill sandbags for protection from mudslides and debris floes. this storm is expected to bring an inch of rain per hour. officials have handed out 18,000 sandbags and that is enough to cover four miles if it is placed end to end. >> standing by now, al jazeera meteorologist is tracking all the conditions. kevin. >> joie, as you said, this reexpecting to see an inch per

hour but have already received one to two inches of rain across the region with the previous storm that we saw go through yesterday. now a bit of a break across the region. you can see here on the radar in the satellite, they are getting this time to prepare in that area. tomorrow things are completely different. the warnings are already out. i want to take you and show you what we are expecting. we have quite a bit of different things going on. here is glendora just to the northeast of los angeles. in that region not only because of the rain but also because of the snow. talking about winter storm watchness effect. now, we are also talking about a lot of flash flooding going on across the area. riverside all the way down towards san diego. irvine and problems with the hillsides over just to the east of santa barbara. we are expecting quite a bit of precipitation. here we go. >> we are looking at 6 to eight inches of rain. also for many sections where you see the yellow. in here, we are looking at about 20-inches of snow in the san gabriel mountains, and

then up towards the north here in the sierra nevadas. well in that region we are talking about 36 to 48-inches of snow just in the next couple of days going through starting on friday morning and ending on saturday night. so this is going to be a major scenario. we are not only going to be watching what is happening in parts of los angeles, but also what is going to be happening to the north. towards saturday, you can see things start to ease up a bit. unfortunately as we go to the next couple of days, we are looking at the situation going back to the same dry warm scenario that we had last month as well as really going through the winter. now back to you. >> thanks kevin. coming up knicks on america tonight, the president launches an initiative to keep young minority men in school and out of jail. the details from the senior next. >>

>> heavily armed, combat tactics >> every little podunk wants their tank and their bazooka... >> with s.w.a.t. raids on the rise... >> when it goes wrong, it goes extremely wrong... >> what's the price for militarizing our police >> they killed evan dead >> faul lines, al jazeera america's hard hitting... >> there blocking the door... >> ground breaking... >> we have to get out of here... >> truth seeking... break though investigative documentary series... new episode, deadly force only on al jazeera america

>> no doubt about it, innovation changes our lives. opening doors ... opening possibilities. taking the impossible from lab ... to life. on techknow, our scientists bring you a sneak-peak of the future, and take you behind the scenes at our evolving world. techknow - ideas, invention, life. on al jazeera america >> wednesday marked the two year anniversary of trayvon martin who was walking with nothing more than iced tea and

skittles in his hands. mr. obama today announced a 200 million initiative to combat high dropout rates, unemployment and the lure of the streets. the my brother's keeper initiative aims to put young minority boys and men on the path towards opportunity and success. valerie, can you talk about the inspiration for the president? he has really become quite focused on the issue of young men and boys and their futures. yes, he has. and it is very personal for him as he said when he met those young men from the becoming a man organization a year ago this february, they touched his heart because they reminded him so much of himself. the only difference is he said that he lived in a more for giving environment. he had a mom and he had grandparents and teachers who really looked out for him. and his view was that every child should have the opportunities that he had. and we all have a responsibility to make sure

that we provide that to them and there are many examples of programs that are working that are really improving these young men, the boys lives and putting them on a positive trajectory. and it is our collective responsibility to take the programs to scale so that we can touch many, many more men and do what we know will work. and that is not just for moral reasons. but because it is good for our economy. they are our workforce of tomorrow and we should invest in them. >> you talk about what is good for our economy and what is important for business. and after all, you will need the partnership of business. this is initiative that would be funded not by the federal government. >> that's right. the president said this is not another big federal government program. in fact, we shouldn't require additional resources. we should be smarter about how we use the resources that we do have. we should make sure that the funds that we have are going to support programs that work and creating incentives for programs that work. but this responsibility comes down on the business community and they have a responsibility

that can provide sum irv jobs. internships. mentorship. funding of not for profit and service organizations such as becoming a man. when you listen to the young men talk about the program it is teaching them pride, anger management, self-respect, how to treat women. how to be a.m. pishes and have career goals. the discipline to do your homework and get ahead. graduate from high school and go on to college. so, if we have programs like that all over the country, that will make a big difference. but the president said we have a responsibility to parent our children. our fathers need to be involved in the lives of their children. particularly their sons need that positive role model. our community needs to take care of our children. if you have a single mom that lives next door to you can you give her a hand. fickly if you are a role model for her children. if you have uncles and granter parents. everyone needs to get involved and help our children.

because right now, these black boys are lagging behind key times in their life where if wentvene we can make a big difference. you talk about the involvement of corporate leaders and certainly the president has incorporated some unusual or eclectic group of folks to advice him on this. can you give us an idea on who test t folks oand why it is important to bring them together in this? >> sure, you have everyone from magic johnson who was there who was a star athlete but now is a very prominent businessman. and he talked about it when he was interviewing people to hire in his companies. he has lots of women who apply for jobs but not that many black men. he said why is that? we have to figure -- we have have a pipeline of diverse applicants. we have one from american express who is a role model. we have heads of other companies,

mcdonald's, we have colin powell there who has a very impressive foundation that is already deeply involved in this work. we have 10 foundations that have committed real resources all right 150 million and then the promis to invest another additional 200 million and that is just the begin. >> i do want to clarify though. we have referred to young minority men and young black men. is this really a program directed towards young black people or is it across the board in all minority communities, what do you mean by that? >> it is primarily directed to black and latino men. those are the ones who are most at risk. if you look at the statistics those are the ones who are entering into schools not really prepared so we need early childhood programs for them to get them ready for school. those are the ones that are lagging and learning to read by third grade. the evidence showed shows if you haven't learned to read by third grade the chances of

finishing high school on time are less anders in you are poor. we know that disproportionately black and latino men are expelled from school or suspended from school and that often leads to the juvenile delinquency system and that leads to the adults criminal justice system. >> my brother's keepers initiative what our senior adviser valerie jaret has been talking about. >> thank you. >> also talking about the future of youngman black men the former top cop served three years in prison on felony charges. he is now offering quite an unusual perspective on the criminal justice system. >> well, i think we put way too many people in prison for things that they don't necessarily need prison for. i met those people. i also met young black men and hispanic men that were sense

sentences to 10 years, and 15, and 20 years for first time offenses. 10 years for a kid that sells or byes or possesses five grams of cocaine? if we continue to incarcerate them 30 years from now probably 75% of every black man in this country is going to be incarcerated. is that what we want? is that what the system was created for? the system is broken. >> we will have more of our interview with former nybd commissioner kerik next week on america tonight. still to come, arming america's police. is this war? the militarization of the police and some deadly consequences. a fault line investigation next. >> they were so military and huge guns in full gear. they were puffed out. and they looked military like

they were going into a war. >> also in america tonight, a focus on our justice system. our special report crime and unusual punishment this friday 9:00 p.m. eastern on al jazeera, america. >> consider this. the news of the day plus so much more. answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> it seems like they can't agree to anything in washington no matter what.

now a snapshot of stories making headlines on america tonight. the first lady marked the 4th anniversary of her let's move campaign by introducing a proposed change to nutrition labels. this proposal would put more emphasis on calories.

the makeover, the first in 20 years, would include new serving sizes to better reflect how much people actually eat. a pair of big city mayors will set out their st. patrick's day parades to protest policies against gay organizations. unwillingness of parade organizers allowing gay veterans to march will keep him on the sidelines. another is skipping the largest st. patrick's day parade because parents pants aren't allowed to carry signs that identify them as gay. eric holder is back home resting this evening. earlier in the day he was hospitalized for faintness and shortness of breath. holder began experiencing symptoms during a morning meeting. he was taken to the hospital as a precaution. across the country police forces are relying on military style tactics, sometimes even for the most routine operaterations. the trend is supported by homeland security grants and

has led to a spike in the number of swat and military style raids. but is it making the country safer or more dangerous? sebastian walker traveled to california to take a closer look. >> in the u.s. today there are now tense of thousands of military style police raids every year. but only the worst cases make the news. we have come to investigate one that took place in a rural town just north of los angeles. >> it scared me so bad because they were so military and huge guns and full gear and huge. they were puffed out like huge vests and they looked like military to me, like they were going into a war. >> in the morning, on june 27th armed police from across l.a. county converged on the property of eugene malary and his wife tonya pate. they were warned saying the property was used as an illegal methamphetamine lab.

the entire basis of the search warrant was the investigating officer said in spots downwind of the location he was able with certainty to smell chemicals. this is where i was. i was right here. >> tonya was in a trailer on the property and her son adrian was asleep in another police. >> and it scared me so bad that i said adrian come out. and that is when that guy told her contain her so she shoved me into the car and then put the handcuffs on really tight and pushed me into the car. and i said my son is in there. a thorough search of the property turned up no sign of meth. despite her pleas, the police wouldn't tell tonya what they were looking for. >> every time i asked she would say my detective will be here to talk to you. you just need to shut up. i'm blow texting my officers. >> i said from what? you know? and i said you the ones one

with the all guns. >> tonya was taken to the police station but then released without charge. it was only on her return that she began to realize what had happened. during the raid, the armed officers entered the house where tonya's husband was sleeping. guns drawn, six sheriff's deputies made their way towards his bedroom. >> i came back to the house and it was horrible. there was blood all over that bed. it was thick and it was running down the walk way. and there was a lot of it. and i was just like oh, my god. >> eugene had been shot six times, five of those shots were fatal wounds to the chest. >> the bedding was saturated, pillows were full of blood, blood ran all the way down that side. i guess he laid over there and bled to death and died. >>

eugene kept guns in his bed in latched boxes. initial report says officers were confronted by an armed man. >> one of the guns was potentially in this? >> yeah, but he didn't have enough time. >> but their story was he was exiting, holding a gun with both hands and leveled it at >> yeah. >> and the report was that he was actually killed outside the bedroom as he was coming out. >> to confront them. >> well, i have blood inside the room and like i said, if he was walking this way or right there, there is no blood in this pathway nor on this rug. >> both you queen's body and his gun were moved before investigators reached the scene. >> where the body drupes drops and the gun is, why would you move these. if you say she shot at you and everything, he should be dropped where he is at. his gun should be in his hand.

why is everything moved? i don't believe gene's gun was in his hand. i don't believe gene is where you said, that is why he was moved. into during the raid, the police found cannabis on the property and her son adrian who holds a medical marijuana license was arrested. he is being charged with possession with intent to supply, a charge the family denies. now tonya is fighting to clear her familiar live's name and death. >> this is him so happy as his birthday party, 80 years old. >> doesn't look like a dangerous man. >> anybody with authority he was very respectful to them and praised them for their job. i mean, he would give them thumbs up, fire department, sheriff department, pat them on the back. tell them what a great job, what would we do without you guys, you know? ♪ he just keeps rolling

along . >> ♪ his clothes and his shoes. they smell like him. i don't want to move them. you put things away and they are gone. i don't want him to be gone, sebastian, i don't want him to be gone. >> you queen's body was brought here to the l.a. county corn's office for an autopsy. shortly after the county had the body cremated without tonya's permission. and before she could get her own autopsy. we requested a copy of the coroner's report to better understand what happened during the raid. tonya is now suing the county for wrongful death and her lawyers say the police story

is full of holes. >> the de see accident exited his bedroom with a..22 caliber handgun. the deputy fired at the decedent six times which dropped him to the bedroom floor. so any fish issues with that so far? >> absolutely. the shots reflected downward through eugene's body. eugene is 6'4". this indicates he is not standing when shot. he is obviously down probably in his bed. at 6'4" he would have to be 8 efoot tall to have the same kind of trajectory. >> the weapon was moved by the officers before the coroner got there. again, you are not supposed to tamper with the evidence. what incentive is there for an officer to move it? >> maybe he thinks the guy could still be a threat and needs to kick the gun away from his hand? >> not with six fatal bullet

holes through a body was this fellow going to move. >> it says they recovered the following, fluorescent lights, glow lights, a balart on the other side of the grow room. they recovered a black gas mask, they recovered some scales, pill bottles that contained marijuana. a pill bottle that contained marijuana seeds and empty plastic bags and a digital scale. >> let's justify killing an 80-year-old man in his house for a little bit of marijuana. that's what their argument is, i guess. >> the larger picture, what would you say this says about the nature of the way that these raids are being carried out? >> it is not only in our department here. it is across the country. we have seen an increased militarization of police departments. they are like seal team 6 coming into your personal residence. no legitimate reason for the way they carried this out. >> arming america's police,

for more on the fault lines investigation, we have with us correspondent sebastian walker. you talked in this report about california. but as your last interview suggested that this might be more of a national trend? >> that is right grueie. there has been a lot of reporting done about the nature of policing in the u.s. and i had it has changed since 1950s and 60ss. and i think from the police perspective that is most commonly explained as a response to the changing nature of threats that they face in the war on drugs and war on terror. what we did with this film is focus on the acute aspect of this. the s.w.a.t. raids being carried out. what we found is remarkable. the number of raids that are being carried out has expanded dramatically since the 1980s by 1400%. and the use of s.w.a.t. is really on the rise. the police departments in the 1980s that had a s.w.a.t.

team was only around 20% nationwide. by 1999 it was around 80%. it is something that is being used with more and more frequency. the wider concern is what happens in terms of the overall effect that has in the communities that are being policed. >> do you have the sense that the police are motivated by something in particular that drives them to this more intense level? >> well, i think what is also going on are the ex term factors too. there is an industry that has grown up around this for arming s.w.a.t. teams. it is a huge multi-million-dollar business now. and there are grants that police departments have been given by the department of homeland security following 9/11 attacks that made billions of dollars available for purchasing military style equipment and we are talking about heavy armed vehicles, military style weapons, or the use of that has expanded to the extent that there is also a federal program that actually transfers military equipment to police departments.

and that is really fueling the phenomenon. >> we will see more of that in your report. sebastian walkeer full report arming america's police friday 9:30 eastern on al jazeera america. journalists by the way are notoriously reluctant to speak about themselves. on this day of action for freedom of the press, all of us on al jazeera america are standing up for our colleagues. three journalists from our sister channel have been detained in egypt for two months. accused of spreading false news and having links to an organization the government group. al jazeera rejects those charges and was joined today by demonstrators from around the world. from africa, to america. west coast to east. and in more than 30 countries, brazil, cambodia, saudi arabia to name just a few. people gathered to protest. drawing attention to everywhere. >> in mexico they put down their cameras and here in

washington lawmakers joined in the call for our colleagues to be freed. >> we have expressed concerns about the detainment and trial of al jazeera staff and journalists as well as others. we expressed those concerns to the government of egypt and have strongly urged the government to drop the charges and release those detained. we are following as voices across the world join in to speak for free speech. if you want to join the twitter #is freea.j.staff. >> after the break, our special series continues. aging america and growing old alone. >> different things have come up the years you have to acclimate to. but, this is extreme. >> keeping tabs on a loved one. even from thousands of miles away. and later, the real fill meana

and what her own story can tell us about life, love and family. >> >> these protestors have decided that today they will be arrested >> these people have chased a president from power, they've torn down a state... >> what's clear is that people don't just need protection, they need assistance.

>> every sunday night al jazeera america brings you controversial... >> both parties are owned by the corporations. >> ..entertaining >> it's fun to play with ideas. >> ...thought provoking >> get your damn education. >> ...surprising >> oh, absolutely! >> ...exclusive one-on-one interviews with the most interesting people of our time. >> you're listening because you want to see what's going to happen. >> i want to know what works what do you know works? >> conversations you won't find anywhere else. >> talk to al jazeera. >> only on al jazeera america. >> oh my! now to our special series, aging america. and some gadgets in the home that can change aging americans into pretty cool folks. the benefits can be twofold, peace of mind for family no matter how far away they are. as odd and conventional for seniors, they might have

friends to keep them company. tracking this shriek new aid, here is america's tonight adam may. >> at 86, edith lives alone in a retirement community outside frederick maryland. her husband died five years ago. my husband came from a family of 10. and very poor. >> um-hmm. >> he was full of ideas. signs by dove. that was our sign shop. >> her children worried she would be lonely. so they got her a roommate. a robot it can't clean the house or cook any meals, but it does allow her daughter wendy who lives more than 2,000 miles away to take her to lunch. >> i have been trying to get my daughter who is in scotland to run the robot, but she has had some internet connections because she moved -- >> her son don, a former telecom executive bought the robot for his mother after

seeing it in the workplace. duff's company thought of a way of buying it. >> when did you think it would be a good thing for my mother? >> almost immediately. that was the purpose of buying it. i wanted one at my mother's location. i wanted it to be easy for her. it is such a relief to be able to be here in difficult situations for her. i can jump in the robot any with her. >> the robot costs around 1500 dollars and requires a wi-fi connection. your mom is back in the bedroom. you can wheel it back there and go check on her? into anywhere in the world. absolutely. >> his mom now says she likes the robot, it gives her peace of mind too. but, at first she says the new unnerving. >> it scares the daylights out of me. don has been telling me what

is coming up next and it does. it is scary. did you ever think in your wildest imagination that at the age of 86 you would be living here in this house with this robot? >> no. never. different things have come up to the years that you have to acclimate to. but, this is extreme. >> what do your kids have out of you getting having this robot. >> they can check up on mom any time . >> it's the center button. >> um-hmm. and there she is. >> she's in california but do you feel like she is in your living room? into i know, she is running this thing from california. when you live in a place like this and you are a single woman, you could get lonely. it's just nice having them handy.

>> researchers are aiming to build more advanced elder care robots like this robotic arm which can be attached to a wheelchair. people who have facilities use it for daily living, eating, preparing food. small fine motions that are required. >> life is a terminal illness. we are all going to have some kind of some decline. >> jim osborne is the executive director of the quality of life technology center. a federally funded lab that creates robotics for the elderly and disabled. >> we do not have enough caregivers. technology will have to amplify what they do. >> but the work is slow going. so now in a gravity compensation mode so we can move they will around.

we can change and mostly stick in place and we let him go. >> one of a their showcase projects is herb, still years away from being ready for the home. osborne says rather an robot like herb, we are more likely to see smaller targeted technology. when he calls an aware home. when we think of an aware home. we think of something has instrumentation that would be able to understand our patterns of behavior. there are commercial systems that can do that in a fairly rudeimentry way. understand where you are. you are moving about the kitchen. understand that you get up at a certain time of day and do this and do that and so on. the house that we live in could be a robot. >> elener's house doesn't look anything like a robot. but it does know what she is doing. at 89. she is as sharp as they come. >> well come on. i'm not concentrating. >> we paid a visit to the rural minnesota home that she shares with her daughter lynn.

a diabetic with mobility issues, she rarely leaves her basement apartment. >> it was always a concern if she were to fall or something because that has happened a few times. and then she had a heart attack a couple of years ago. >> lynn says she worries about leaving her mother alone when she travels for work. so recently she installed a home sensor network. >> yeah, i have got sensors here in the bathroom and in the kitchen and one in the bedroom. >> and what do these sensors do? >> they notify my daughter when i do things. like the one in the bathroom. if i'm not there by 9:00 and there is no movement, she can find out if there is something wrong with me to come downstairs and see. >> does that give you some peace of mind? >> definitely. because she has got things to do like everybody else. and this way it makes her free. if she doesn't get up within a certain period of time, she could either have fallen out

of the bed or maybe had a heart attack or whatever. it gives me a sense of relief notified. >> about a half a dozen companies offer home sensors networks for the elderly. an estimated 500 million market. eleanor eocenors by wisconsin company grand care can be applied almost anywhere. motion senors to detect when the front door is opened. temperature sensors to detect if the stove has been left on. even pressure sensors to detect when you get out of bed or how long you have sat in your favorite chair. all that information is recorded to a web site where the adult child can peer into her parents routine and mine problems. >> at risk of a urinary tract infection and they are triggering the bathroom sensor more than normal that is an indication that maybe we should go to the clinickic.

but that is only as good as the person. >> how are you feeling today? >> i feel a lot better since i rested. >> the children become the frontline care provider. they have more information about their parents than the doctors do. certainly more up to date because it is libeling what were they doing a minute ago? >> all of a sudden, this is more information than i bargained for. this is more responsibility than i bargained for. >> it might seem uncomfortable having your children track trade-off. >> i'll have the sensors because i know it will keep me safe at home and i can live here as long as possible. and so for them, that is more of an acceptance rather than a why i should embrace it. >> do you feel you lost your privacy because of the sensors? >> no, not really. >> she knows when you are in the bathroom. >> i would. probably hears me any way. >> so much fun talking to that lady. now we mentioned the current

markets for a wireless home sensor network is about half a billion dollars. but that is growing fast. sales expected exceed 14 billion in the u.s. by 2019. and the systems operate a home security alarm with installation and monthly monitoring. right now the bill is 150 to 200 a month. >> what kinds of things are they planning for the future. if this much money is involved. >> so much money involved people are scrambling to find out what is next and interesting things are working on grab a pods, basically imagine -- >> a plant your grandma in a pod? >> imagine a room in a nursing home in a shed you can put that in your backyard with all the latest sensor technology. you could have the smart home technology. you could sit in your house and monitor what your parent is doing on your ipad and watch them from cameras. >> this is about the whole technology thing that has

changed all of our lives when talking about seniors and the elderly. i wonder if a lady like edith, she has got to be ifers -- community. >> she was the talk of that community too. people just loved watching her walk down the hallway. it -- you could see her coming down the hallway with the robot trailing behind her. and all the people in the senior community were whispering. that is edith. so does it inspire robot envy? >> a few people say i don't understand why she has that. but you could see she went to lunch, had her friends from the retirement community, they wanted to try it and they wanted to talk to her family and friends. so, i think the real benefit of what you are seeing with the current technology so long to go right now. but it is basically using kuip face time technology, putting it into easy farmate sow the elderly can stay in touch with her family.

just like being there. adam may, appreciate you being here. ahead in our final thoughts this hour. you have seen her story at the movies. but the true life of philomena is even more remarkable. meet the real philomena lee. >> consider this. the news of the day plus so much more. answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> it seems like they can't agree to anything in washington no matter what.

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and a host willing to ask the tough questions >> how do you explain it to yourself? and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5 eastern only on al jazeera america al jazeera america. we understand that every news story begins and ends with people. >> the efforts are focused on rescuing stranded residents. >> we pursue that story beyond the headline, pass the spokesperson, to the streets. >> thousands of riot police deployed across the capital. >> we put all of our global resources behind every story. >> it is a scene of utter devastation. >> and follow it no matter where it leads - all the way to you. al jazeera america, take a new look at news.

>> finally from us tonight. it is oscar season. one very strong contender for an award is philomena, the moving story of a woman was on a search for the son she gave up. dame judy dench is nominated for her portrayal of philomena. america tonight met the real philomena with her daughter jane on their first real life trip to the united states. and she heard her touching story. >> she shad a baby when she was a teenager. >> she was three and a half. he was the most lovely, beautiful child, you know. lovely

little boy. day. >> god i've got to find him. and so it is the only -- she wanted to find him and find out what happened to him. and of course, i always kept it people my age were ostracized. and it was the guilt. felt so guilty, you know, which of course you carried that through your life. >> 10 years ago your mother told you this story. >> i didn't have any inkling beforehand. but when she told me it made -- things made sense. and we had these little photographs in our family box, the photos and i would ask her when i was a child who it was. and she said it was her cousin's son. but of course i realized straight away who this little boy was. >> i used to think oh my goodness, he could be in vietnam, he could have gone on

skid row, he could be anything. but always prayed with my heart that he would be safe, you know, that he was well and my prayers were heard that he did well actually. >> terrible thing to carry for all those years. >> the relief when i told her mom. >> i can imagine what that must have been like to lose a child at 3 and a half years old and i was delighted. delighted that there was another brother out there. you know? i was happy about that. to try to search for him. >> my guess is that anthony was adopted and sent to america. >> i think i would like to go. >> well, i was excited i found him at last. but she said have you got somebody with you. i said yes, but i'm very sorry to tell you he's dead. oh. it was like losing him all over again.

all over again. oh, my god. he was 43 years of age. we headed up to where he was buried and went to see the nuns again. they told he died but didn't tell us at that point that he was buried there. he was buried there because he was looking for you? >> he was. actually when he new he -- of course he developed -- the final stage he said look, when i die, will you pleats bring my ashes back so that one day they may find me. >> and once we found the grave site did it give you comfort? and i remember thinking he must have wanted to be found. he unfortunately was told by abandoned. >> that must have been very painful. and he died thinking i had abandoned him. do you believe that is what he thought? into no, he knew.

somehow or another to be requested to be buried back there so i would find him. sorry. and -- how does it feel to you for 50 years you kept that secret so close. how does it feel now to be talking to everybody about it? >> at my age now so many people, so many women my age can't come up with a secret that they can't tell their families and i thought perhaps i really hope it will help other women to come out. >> you have been on two journeys. the journey to find an on they and now this sort of very different journey which has you on television studios and walking red carpets and going off to the oscars. >> can you believe it?

seven weeks ago i wouldn't have thought this sort of thing was going to happen, really. >> what do you make of it all? >> i'm enjoying it. this will never again happen to me. i'm making the most of it. everybody has been so lovely and kind. i'm making the most of it. >> she has been spending her whole life trying to find him. >> and if that doesn't inspire people to search, to search for their families, reunite with those they think they have lost, what would? that's it for us here on america tonight. please don't forget our special report crime and unusual punishment that will air this friday 9:00 eastern on al jazeera america. if you would like to comment on any stories you have seen on our program tonight, log on to our web site al jazeera.com/america tonight. you could also join the conversation with us on twitter. , or on our face book page. good night. more of america tonight coming

up tomorrow. >> >> hi there. welcome to al jazeera america. i'm thomas drayton in new york. here are the top stories we are following at this hour. more tension for ukraine at this hour. there are reports that armed gunmen have taken over a

regional airport. it was not clear who the men are. the upheaval in crimea comes as pro-russians take to the streets to protest against the changes in ukraine's government. meanwhile a warning from u.s. secretary of state directed towards russia. >> we believe that everybody now needs to step back and avoid any kinds of provocation. >> john kerry voicing concerns about russians military exercises. russia claims the manoeuvres have nothing to do with the crisis in ukraine. >> u.s. attorney-general eric holder was hospitalized for a few hours on thursday, experiencing shortness of breath and treated for an elevated heart rate for a precaution. the 53-year-old was known to walk up to his office instead of using the elevator. >> a powerful storm could hit the foothills near los angeles,

and mudslides. at least 1,000 home owners have been asked to leave. >> thursday was the day of okays for our detained colleagues in egypt. thousands took place showing support for their release. >> those are the headlines. i'm thomas drayton. "consider this" is next. >> ukraine's civil unrest threatens violence. >> toxic nuclear sites speaks to us. the plight of gaoled al jazeera journalists gets global attention. we look at threats to reporters around the world. using penn gins to gauge men's impact on climate change. m